Morocco Ramsar wetland
Merja Zerga
233 bird species recorded; the most from February to April.
Zinkh · CC BY-SA 4.0
This month here
148 species in January.178 species in February.167 species in March.170 species in April.119 species in May.99 species in June.41 species in July.103 species in August.140 species in September.152 species in October.112 species in November.157 species in December.
The birds you are most likely to see in the month you choose, those that come for the season first. It opens on today's month.
NT
VU
NT
NT
NT
NT
NT
NT
VU
NT
VU
VU
NT
NTVU
NT
VU
NTNTVUNT
NTNTNTVU
NTNTNTNT
VU
NTNT
VU
NTNT
NTVUNT- Resident all year
- Summer visitor comes to breed
- Winter visitor comes for the winter
- Passage migrant in spring and autumn
In numbers
233 species, counted.
Our own rating, from the records only: species (50 points), threatened species (20), migrants (20) and protected status — Ramsar, IBA, SPA, observatory (10).
- 233Speciesrecorded more than once
- 111Migrantssummer, winter or passage visitors
- 6ThreatenedVulnerable, Endangered or Critically Endangered (IUCN)
- 22,834Recordsopen records within 6 km
- 17Raptors
- 6Owls
- 32Waders
- 25Gulls & seabirds
- 21Ducks & geese
- 13Herons, ibises & grebes
- 3Storks & cranes
- 1Flamingos
- 86Songbirds
- 29Other birds
From open records (eBird and others, through GBIF, licensed for any use). More birdwatchers mean more records: a quiet place may have more birds than it shows.
The checklist
All 233 species.
By group, with the year in twelve cells: the darker the cell, the more often the bird is recorded that month.
Raptors17 species
JFMAMJJASOND
- Western Marsh HarrierCircus aeruginosus
- Common KestrelFalco tinnunculus
- OspreyPandion haliaetus
- Montagu's HarrierCircus pygargus
- Black-winged KiteElanus caeruleus
- Eurasian SparrowhawkAccipiter nisus
- Black KiteMilvus migrans
- Hen HarrierCircus cyaneus
- Peregrine FalconFalco peregrinus
- Booted eagleHieraaetus pennatus
- Long-legged BuzzardButeo rufinus
- Common BuzzardButeo buteo
- Lesser kestrelFalco naumanni
- European HobbyFalco subbuteo
- Short-toed eagleCircaetus gallicus
- MerlinFalco columbarius
- European Honey-buzzardPernis apivorus
Owls6 species
JFMAMJJASOND
- Marsh OwlAsio capensis
- Little OwlAthene noctua
- Western Barn OwlTyto alba
- Tawny OwlStrix aluco
- Long-eared OwlAsio otus
- Eurasian Scops OwlOtus scops
Waders32 species
JFMAMJJASOND
- Grey PloverPluvialis squatarolaVU
- Eurasian OystercatcherHaematopus ostralegusNT
- Eurasian CurlewNumenius arquataNT
- RedshankTringa totanus
- Common GreenshankTringa nebularia
- Common Ringed PloverCharadrius hiaticula
- DunlinCalidris alpinaNT
- Ruddy TurnstoneArenaria interpresNT
- Eurasian WhimbrelNumenius phaeopus
- SanderlingCalidris alba
- Kentish PloverCharadrius alexandrinus
- Common SandpiperActitis hypoleucos
- Black-tailed GodwitLimosa limosaNT
- Bar-tailed godwitLimosa lapponicaNT
- Northern LapwingVanellus vanellusNT
- Black-winged StiltHimantopus himantopus
- Little StintCalidris minuta
- Pied AvocetRecurvirostra avosetta
- Curlew SandpiperCalidris ferrugineaVU
- Green SandpiperTringa ochropus
- Common SnipeGallinago gallinago
- RuffCalidris pugnax
- Collared PratincoleGlareola pratincola
- European Golden PloverPluvialis apricaria
- Red KnotCalidris canutusNT
- Spotted RedshankTringa erythropus
- Slender-billed CurlewNumenius tenuirostris
- Eurasian Stone-curlewBurhinus oedicnemus
- Wood SandpiperTringa glareola
- Jack SnipeLymnocryptes minimus
- Temminck's StintCalidris temminckii
- Marsh SandpiperTringa stagnatilis
Gulls & seabirds25 species
JFMAMJJASOND
- Lesser Black-backed GullLarus fuscus
- Sandwich TernThalasseus sandvicensis
- Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundus
- Yellow-legged GullLarus michahellis
- Audouin's GullIchthyaetus audouinii
- Caspian TernHydroprogne caspia
- Slender-billed GullChroicocephalus genei
- Whiskered TernChlidonias hybrida
- Little TernSternula albifrons
- Gull-billed TernGelochelidon nilotica
- Mediterranean GullIchthyaetus melanocephalus
- Northern gannetMorus bassanus
- Common TernSterna hirundo
- Black TernChlidonias niger
- Lesser Crested TernThalasseus bengalensis
- Arctic SkuaStercorarius parasiticus
- Great skuaStercorarius skua
- Balearic shearwaterPuffinus mauretanicusCR
- RazorbillAlca torda
- Common GullLarus canus
- Iceland GullLarus glaucoides
- Scopoli's ShearwaterCalonectris diomedea
- Little GullHydrocoloeus minutus
- Pomarine SkuaStercorarius pomarinus
- Yelkouan ShearwaterPuffinus yelkouanVU
Ducks & geese21 species
JFMAMJJASOND
- MallardAnas platyrhynchos
- Common ShelduckTadorna tadorna
- Northern ShovelerSpatula clypeata
- Northern PintailAnas acuta
- Eurasian TealAnas crecca
- Eurasian WigeonMareca penelope
- Common PochardAythya ferinaVU
- Greylag GooseAnser anser
- Red-crested pochardNetta rufina
- GadwallMareca strepera
- Marbled TealMarmaronetta angustirostrisNT
- Tufted DuckAythya fuligula
- GarganeySpatula querquedula
- Common ScoterMelanitta nigra
- Ruddy ShelduckTadorna ferruginea
- Taiga Bean GooseAnser fabalis
- Ruddy DuckOxyura jamaicensis
- Ferruginous DuckAythya nyrocaNT
- Red-breasted MerganserMergus serrator
- Greater White-fronted GooseAnser albifrons
- White-headed duckOxyura leucocephala
Herons, ibises & grebes13 species
JFMAMJJASOND
- Western Cattle EgretBubulcus ibis
- Little EgretEgretta garzetta
- Grey HeronArdea cinerea
- Great CormorantPhalacrocorax carbo
- Eurasian SpoonbillPlatalea leucorodia
- Glossy IbisPlegadis falcinellus
- Great White EgretArdea alba
- Little GrebeTachybaptus ruficollis
- Great Crested GrebePodiceps cristatus
- Squacco HeronArdeola ralloides
- Black-crowned Night-HeronNycticorax nycticorax
- Purple heronArdea purpurea
- Eared GrebePodiceps nigricollis
Storks & cranes3 species
JFMAMJJASOND
- White StorkCiconia ciconia
- Common CraneGrus grus
- Black storkCiconia nigra
Flamingos1 species
JFMAMJJASOND
- Greater FlamingoPhoenicopterus roseus
Songbirds86 species
JFMAMJJASOND
- Zitting CisticolaCisticola juncidis
- Western Yellow WagtailMotacilla flava
- Spotless StarlingSturnus unicolor
- Barn swallowHirundo rustica
- House SparrowPasser domesticus
- Common BulbulPycnonotus barbatus
- Crested larkGalerida cristata
- Western JackdawColoeus monedula
- European SerinSerinus serinus
- Corn BuntingEmberiza calandra
- European StonechatSaxicola rubicola
- European GreenfinchChloris chloris
- Eurasian BlackbirdTurdus merula
- European GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis
- White WagtailMotacilla alba
- Meadow PipitAnthus pratensis
- Common ChiffchaffPhylloscopus collybita
- Common LinnetLinaria cannabina
- Black RedstartPhoenicurus ochruros
- African Blue TitCyanistes teneriffae
- African ChaffinchFringilla spodiogenys
- Sardinian WarblerCurruca melanocephala
- Great titParus major
- European RobinErithacus rubecula
- Common StarlingSturnus vulgaris
- Sand MartinRiparia riparia
- Common House MartinDelichon urbicum
- BlackcapSylvia atricapilla
- Lanius excubitorLanius excubitor
- Cetti's WarblerCettia cetti
- Northern WheatearOenanthe oenanthe
- SkylarkAlauda arvensis
- Woodchat ShrikeLanius senatorNT
- Northern RavenCorvus corax
- Grey WagtailMotacilla cinerea
- Maghreb MagpiePica mauritanica
- Willow WarblerPhylloscopus trochilus
- Spotted FlycatcherMuscicapa striata
- House BuntingEmberiza sahari
- BluethroatLuscinia svecica
- Song ThrushTurdus philomelos
- Spanish sparrowPasser hispaniolensis
- Calandra larkMelanocorypha calandra
- European Pied FlycatcherFicedula hypoleuca
- Thekla's LarkGalerida theklae
- Western Subalpine WarblerCurruca iberiae
- Common Reed BuntingEmberiza schoeniclus
- Red-throated PipitAnthus cervinus
- Common RedstartPhoenicurus phoenicurus
- WhinchatSaxicola rubetra
- Greater Short-toed LarkCalandrella brachydactyla
- Eurasian ChaffinchFringilla coelebs
- Western Black-eared WheatearOenanthe hispanica
- Spectacled WarblerSylvia conspicillata
- African Sand MartinRiparia paludicola
- Eurasian SiskinSpinus spinus
- Eurasian Reed WarblerAcrocephalus scirpaceus
- Western Olivaceous WarblerIduna opaca
- Water PipitAnthus spinoletta
- Common NightingaleLuscinia megarhynchos
- Tawny PipitAnthus campestris
- WhitethroatSylvia communis
- Sedge WarblerAcrocephalus schoenobaenus
- Richard's PipitAnthus richardi
- Lesser Short-toed LarkCalandrella rufescens
- Garden WarblerSylvia borin
- Eurasian WrenTroglodytes troglodytes
- Melodious WarblerHippolais polyglotta
- Savi's WarblerLocustella luscinioides
- GoldcrestRegulus regulus
- Tree PipitAnthus trivialis
- Mistle ThrushTurdus viscivorus
- Ortolan buntingEmberiza hortulana
- Eurasian Crag MartinPtyonoprogne rupestris
- Moussier's RedstartPhoenicurus moussieri
- Eastern Olivaceous WarblerIduna pallida
- Common FirecrestRegulus ignicapilla
- Brown-necked RavenCorvus ruficollis
- Citrine WagtailMotacilla citreola
- WoodlarkLullula arborea
- Western Orphean WarblerSylvia hortensis
- Dartford WarblerSylvia undata
- Western Bonelli's WarblerPhylloscopus bonelli
- Moustached WarblerAcrocephalus melanopogon
- Great Reed WarblerAcrocephalus arundinaceus
- Common crossbillLoxia curvirostra
Other birds29 species
JFMAMJJASOND
- Eurasian Collared DoveStreptopelia decaocto
- Rock DoveColumba livia
- CootFulica atra
- Common KingfisherAlcedo atthis
- Laughing DoveSpilopelia senegalensis
- Common QuailCoturnix coturnix
- European SwiftApus apus
- Pallid SwiftApus pallidus
- Common MoorhenGallinula chloropus
- Red-knobbed CootFulica cristata
- Bee-eaterMerops apiaster
- Common Wood PigeonColumba palumbus
- Eurasian HoopoeUpupa epops
- European Turtle DoveStreptopelia turturVU
- European Water RailRallus aquaticus
- Barbary PartridgeAlectoris barbara
- Western SwamphenPorphyrio porphyrio
- Great spotted cuckooClamator glandarius
- Little SwiftApus affinis
- Common CuckooCuculus canorus
- Great Spotted WoodpeckerDendrocopos major
- Double-spurred SpurfowlPternistis bicalcaratus
- Spotted CrakePorzana porzana
- Alpine SwiftTachymarptis melba
- Helmeted GuineafowlNumida meleagris
- European RollerCoracias garrulus
- Maghreb Green WoodpeckerPicus vaillantii
- Stock DoveColumba oenas
- Red-necked NightjarCaprimulgus ruficollisNT
Monthly presence relative to all bird records that month, so a busy month does not inflate every species.
When to go
The most species from February to April.
Species recorded in each month, with the usual temperature and rain.
- Jan16°/12°82 mm
- Feb16°/11°71 mm
- Mar18°/13°77 mm
- Apr20°/14°56 mm
- May23°/16°26 mm
- Jun26°/19°4 mm
- Jul28°/21°1 mm
- Aug28°/22°2 mm
- Sep26°/20°19 mm
- Oct24°/18°75 mm
- Nov20°/15°120 mm
- Dec17°/12°97 mm
- Bar: species recorded that month.
- Temperature: average maximum / minimum (NASA, 1991–2020).
- Rain: monthly total.
The place
Merja Zerga.
Protected area
Merja Zerga is a wetland of international importance (Ramsar) in Morocco.
233 bird species have been recorded here more than once, in 22,834 open records.
The most recorded are the Lesser Black-backed Gull, the Western Cattle Egret and the Western Marsh Harrier.
32 species come for the summer, 71 for the winter and 8 only pass through.
6 are threatened worldwide, including Grey Plover, Curlew Sandpiper and European Turtle Dove.
The most species are recorded from February to April.
Get there and watch
- La Casa Latifacampsite · 2.5 km · 6 within 10 km
- Le nid du Hibouplace to stay · 2.9 km · 7 within 10 km
- Moulay Bousselhamnearest town · 4.1 km in a straight line
- Rabat-Salé Airport (RBA)nearest airport with scheduled flights · 99 km in a straight lineCar hire at RBA airport (Rabat)Discover Cars · sponsored link↗
Plan the visit
A guided walk, a bed nearby, a car.
Some links above are affiliate links: if you book through them we may earn a commission, at no extra cost to you. It never changes what the data on this page says.
From above
The place and its surroundings.
The satellite image of the 6 × 6 km around the place, with the bird hides, towers and trails that OpenStreetMap shows.
Around, in OpenStreetMap
- 1car parks within 3 km
- 6campsites within 10 kmLa Casa Latifa, Camping Kbir, Camp Flamants loisirs and 3 more
- 7places to stay within 10 kmLe nid du Hibou, Maison dés Oiseaux, Hotel Le Lagon and 4 more
- bird hides within 6 km
- observation towers within 6 km
- marked trails within 4 km
- visitor centres within 6 km
- viewpoints within 5 km
- restaurants and cafés within 3 km
Counted in OpenStreetMap, the map anyone can edit. A low number may just mean nobody has mapped it yet.
In our other atlases
Around Merja Zerga.
The lakes, beaches, islands, rivers and mountains around this place, and its night sky, in the family's atlases.
Peakyas76 mountains within 25 kmDehar el Rharga · 6.5 kmDehar Ali · 7.2 kmDehar ed Doum · 9.1 kmKoudiat Bou Touala · 9.2 kmKoudiat Bahhahat · 12 kmKoudiat Hamra · 19 kmSidi Slimane · 20 kmKoudiat Kniz · 24 km
Coastya3 beaches within 10 kmHjar Lamaarrad · 6.3 kmHofret Jmal · 6.9 kmKofe Hmam · 8.7 km
Lakeyas1 lakes within 15 kmLmarja Nachfa0.8 km² · 13 km
Figures from the sister sites' databases (Wikidata, HydroATLAS, GeoNames, OpenStreetMap). Links open when each site is online.
Other places nearby.
Merja Zerga
Morocco
- 79Birdyas Score
- 233Species
- 111Migrants
- 6Threatened
La Breña and Marismas del Barbate Natural Park
Spain · 151 km
- 86Birdyas Score
- 229Species
- 119Migrants
- 12Threatened
Paraje Natural de las marismas del Río Palmones
Spain · 166 km
- 87Birdyas Score
- 254Species
- 139Migrants
- 10Threatened
Where these figures come from
| Name and type | Wikidata (Q403013) · CC0 |
|---|---|
| Birds | 22,834 open bird records within 6 km (GBIF, CC0 and CC BY 4.0 only; mostly eBird, Cornell Lab of Ornithology) |
| See these records | gbif.org |
| Species | GBIF Backbone Taxonomy · CC BY 4.0; Wikidata (CC0); Wikimedia Commons |
| Altitude | Copernicus DEM GLO-30 · © DLR e.V., © Airbus Defence and Space GmbH, Copernicus/ESA |
| Temperature and rain | NASA POWER (CERES SYN1deg, 2001–2020; MERRA-2) |
| What is around | © OpenStreetMap contributors · ODbL |
| Images | EOX Sentinel-2 cloudless 2016 · CC BY 4.0; Wikimedia Commons |
| Sister atlases | Peakyas, Coastya, Lakeyas |
Every figure is an average, an estimate or a count from a public dataset. Licences and methods: data sources.
The family
Do you prefer beaches, lakes, mountains, waterfalls, islands, rivers, canyons, caves, dark skies, viewpoints, birdwatching or forests?
Same idea, other landscapes: field atlases built on open data, in seven languages.
beaches
Find your beach: sea temperature, sun and swimming month by month.Visit lakes
Every lake on Earth: water temperature, ice, depth and the shore.Visit mountains
Every summit in 3D: summit weather, the 0 °C line, huts and trails.Visit 
waterfalls
Every waterfall: height, flow month by month and when it roars.Visit 
islands
Every island from the sea up: size, sea temperature, ferries and 3D.Visit 
rivers
Every river from source to sea: the journey, the flow and the basin in numbers.Visit 
canyons
Every canyon cut to scale: depth to the floor, rim and floor temperatures, trails and viewpoints.Visit 
caves
Every cave with its real depth and length: the rock above, the temperature inside all year, and how to visit.Visit 
dark skies
Where the night is still dark: the sky of every place, the Milky Way month by month, the Moon, eclipses and auroras.Visit 
viewpoints
Every viewpoint with its real 360° panorama: the peaks you can name, how far you see and where the sun sets.Coming soonVisit 
birdwatching
Every bird sanctuary and wetland with the species recorded month by month: who is resident, who comes for the summer, who only passes through.You are here
forests
Every forest with its land-cover rings, what grows and lives in it, and the best months to walk it.Coming soonVisit